Scent Work is the latest craze, because it’s FUN! It’s also a great confidence builder as it requires the dog to lead the way. The goal of this course is to introduce dogs to birch odor using a series of games (we do NOT search for food or pair odor and food). We’ll also touch on proper handling of odor, equipment and leash handling and the importance of odor obedience. By the end of class, most teams who practice regularly between class should be ready for their NACSW Birch ORT or to begin in Novice AKC Scent Work Containers. $5 supply fee. Each student will receive a starter kit with Birch...

It’s that time of year again, the time to convene a Nominating Committee in order to form a slate for next year’s Board. The DTCCU Constitution states: During the month of June, the Board shall select a Nominating Committee consisting of three members and two alternates, not more than one of whom may (“may” substituted for shall) be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairman for the Committee and it shall be his or her duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before July 1st. This committee will present a slate of officers at the August Membership meeting, at which time nominations can also be received from the floor. The election, then, will be held at the September Membership meeting. In order to meet these deadlines, the Board is now calling for volunteers to serve of the Nominating Committee. The next Board meeting is scheduled for June 1, at which time it will select the committee members. If you are willing to serve the club in this manner, please notify any Board member by May 27 so your name can be included on the Board agenda. We appreciate anyone’s willingness to volunteer for this very important task. Duane Walton, President...

The Dog Training Club of C-U was the sponsor of another successful tracking event last weekend, December 6, 2015. Chair, Jenna Ziedler did a wonderful job of organizing the 4 dog TD/4 dog TDX test with the help of many DTCCU members… Head tracklayer, Cathy Greenfield with her crew of tracklayers: Jeanine Craig, Marcie Ridgway, Linda Sorak, Janice Kozak, Pat Reynolds and Tracy Jobe; and Hospitality Chair, Lisa Ochoa. We had to deal with fog on Friday night causing our judge, Sally Nesbitt to be stranded in Chicago. She was a trouper to get up and take a 6:30 am bus to Champaign and then was whisked to the tracking site by Larry Craig. Tracklaying was delayed a bit on Saturday morning due to the lingering fog but we got the tracks plotted before dusk. Sunday morning we woke to a heavy frost causing the sighting to be difficult during tracklaying but our great people got all of the tracks in perfectly. The sun came out and the day was beautiful for the dogs. We enjoyed watching 4 good dogs try for their TD title and all could have done it that day except for one mistake. They will be successful soon. We then started running the Tracking Dog Excellent level dogs. Again, the first dog made one mistake causing the team to fail and then ran a perfect track. The second team to run was our highlight of the day! Our own Marian Stone and 10 year old Border Collie “Blast” worked as a well oiled team to find the final article and earn the TDX title. It was thrilling to watch. Congratulations Marian! Our final two dogs had critter problems and didn’t make it through but showed some real promise. We retired to the warm and cozy headquarters building to the smell of Lisa’s fabulous lunch. Many of our volunteers did double or triple duty to pull off the manpower laden event. Thanks so much to all of you who helped. It is a truly dedicated bunch of folks and I am honored to be a part of the group. Mark your calendar for our spring test at Parkland College – April 2nd for plotting and April...

The nominee for membership for the general meeting this month is Anne DeMarinis she has been a member of the Albany Obedience Club and has moved to our area. Her interests are Agility, Tracking, and Free style nose work. She currently has 2 border terriers Ruby and Benny. They have both earned advanced tittles.I am sure Anne will be a great addition to our...

Have your RSVP’d for the Annual Holiday Party yet? Saturday, December 12 from 5:00-9:00, we’ll be gathering for good food and good fun! We’ll be entertained with a Yankee gift swap (bring a wrapped gift with a value of around $15 to participate) AND a silent auction of agility equipment including weave poles, a dogwalk, an A-frame, a tunnel and a triple jump! Club will provide pasta and breadsticks, please bring a dish to share. Everyone (human) is welcome so bring a friend! Complete information on the flyer here:...

A Review for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test will be offered on November 2 from 5-9pm. This review is open to all current and past Home Companion students and to all club members. Jim Kuehl, one of our experienced Home Companion instructors, will assist dog and handler teams as they prepare for the CGC Test, which will take place on the evening of November...